The Visit to Wulion
by TheFallenApple
Summary: A barely known, power-hungry Kingdom by the name of Wulion receives a visit from King Arthur, Merlin, and some Knights. In Arthur's mind, it was about achieving peace between the two Kingdoms. But King Indulf of Wulion has different plans. Magic Reveal, ABSOLUTELY NO SLASH.
1. Chapter 1 - The Arrival

**Aye! This is my first Fanfiction. I appreciate reviews, even criticism (as long as it's constructive).**

 **APOLOGIES:** **I'm sorry if I accidentally make the characters seem OOC. Please inform me if I do, and I WILL fix it. Or I will try. But it should be good, seeing as I have a very good idea of how they should be acting (I re-watched Merlin four times).**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **I do not own Merlin, nor any of the characters you recognize.**

 **WARNINGS:**

 **\- Spoiler Alert! Just to be safe, you should only read this story if you watched every episode and season of Merlin at least once.**

 **\- Includes magic reveal.**

 **This takes place before the death and public betrayal of Agravaine, but after the death of Uther.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER 1

 _The Arrival_

* * *

Wulion was a kingdom all too far away from the famous Camelot. Unlike that grand kingdom, this tiny one was quite very unknown. It was led by none other than King Indulf the Fifth, who ruled alongside his Queen, Amelia. Indulf was power-hungry, which was part of the reason why he didn't thrive like Camelot.

"Any word from Frederick?" asked the King, sitting down in his throne and looking at Sir Edmund – a Knight of his, who wore a cloak bearing the colour teal – with a slightly bored expression.

"I'm afraid not, Sire," the Knight replied. "But it gladdens me to inform you that, even with him gone, we shall not be alone."

"Oh? Guests?" said Indulf, perking up and sitting straighter on his throne.

"Yes, your Majesty," Sir Edmund answered, smiling. "It appears Arthur seeks peace with Wulion, to 'unite the Kingdoms'."

"King Arthur?" a shocked Indulf echoed. "Camelot and Wulion are way too far apart. Leaving his Kingdom defenseless – _now_ , of all times, with Morgana on the run! Why, it _must_ be a trick!"

"Even if it is a mere trick, Sire," said the young Knight, "this is a chance in a million!"

"How so, Sir Knight?" questioned the King of Wulion.

"With him, as always, Arthur brings someone who could bring us all the power and glory we desire, your Highness," Edmund responded.

"And who is that?" inquired a now impatient King.

"Emrys."

* * *

"Hurry up, _Mer_ lin," said Arthur in his scolding tone, glaring at his manservant.

Merlin didn't respond, nor did he hurry up, taking his time to saddle his Horse. Once his mounted the Horse, King Arthur turned around to look at his Knights. Seeing as they were all prepared, he looked at Agravaine, who stood and watched him prepare.

"Agravaine," the King began in a kingly tone. "I entrust you to lead the kingdom while I'm away."

"Of course," Arthur's Uncle replied with one of his wide smiles.

Arthur nodded, and they all rode away, toward the faraway kingdom Arthur felt necessary to a make peace with.

"What was this place we were going to again?" questioned Merlin.

"Wulion," Arthur said, frowning slightly at the kind of ridiculous name. "May not sound like it, but it's a fierce kingdom."

"I thought you didn't like women," joked Merlin, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Whatever gives you that idea," said Arthur, less like a question, more like statement. "And what does Wulion have to do with _women_?"

"They knight girls," Merlin replied simply, his smile turning into a smirk.

Arthur didn't reply at first, just frowned in thought. But after a little bit, he asked,

"And how do _you_ know this, Merlin?"

The Warlock almost chuckled, remembering himself as eighty years old… _I know more than you could possibly comprehend!_ He almost gave that clever remark again, but thought better of it.

"As I said, I _am_ smarter than you," he said, knowing it wasn't that funny, but better than the probability of revealing his true self in front of Arthur and the Knights. And better than saying nothing at all.

* * *

They rode past the outlying villages of Wulion, finally in Indulf's lands. In no time, they entered Wulion itself. Towering above them, was a huge castle, almost like Camelot, but… different (it was smaller, for instance).

"Ah! King Arthur," said the deep voice of King Indulf.

Arthur turned his attention away from the castle, and smiled to the other royal. He dismounted his Horse, and after him, his Knights and servant did the same. Some Wulion servants took their Horses as they were dismounted.

"Indulf," Arthur greeted, nodding shortly.

"Come on inside," Indulf said, gesturing to the castle entrance, before turning and leading his guests inside.

It was quite a pleasant place, actually. The soothing teal banners which decorated the corridors were highly unfitting for a fierce kingdom like Wulion, but it did make them feel more welcomed.

"A feast has been prepared in honour your arrival," said the King of Wulion.

"It is my pleasure," Arthur replied, smiling. Fierce kingdom? Not as much as he would have thought, if at all.

Merlin bit his bottom lip as they were led into the Great Hall, and looked around. Servants were positioned at the edges of the room, and he stood amongst them.

"No, no," King Indulf said, pulling Merlin away and redirecting him to a chair. "Join us for the feast."

"Thank you," the Warlock said, and Arthur raised an amused eyebrow – as did a couple of servants and Knights.

 _Emrys…,_ said a voice telepathically, and Merlin frowned.

 _Stop it, Edmund,_ another said (this one was female), but Merlin didn't dare.

 _Emrys is here, Erin,_ the fist voice said.

That was how their conversation ended, for Indulf and Amelia rose from their seats to give an announcement, holding hands.

"This feast is to welcome our royal guest, King Arthur, to Wulion!" called out the King.

"And, of course, Emrys!" added Amelia with great enthusiasm.

There was silence. Merlin widened his eyes, but tried not to seem suspicious.

"Emrys?" inquired Arthur, eyebrow raised.

"Why, your Warlock friend, of course! Your protector!" said Amelia, smiling nervously.

"Warlock… friend…?" Arthur asked, not following.

Amelia and her King shared confused glances, though neither were nearly as confused as Arthur.

"I do not support magic. It is outlawed in Camelot," said Arthur.

"Ah, forgive me, my mistake," said the Queen, and they all sat down. Merlin exhaled in relief – and that exhale did not go unnoticed by the Knightess beside him.

Arthur let the entire matter out of his mind, and the feast began. Merlin just sat and ate, listening to the royals' conversation in worry and fear.

'Do they know it's me?' he pondered. By "they," he meant King Indulf and Queen Amelia. He hoped not, and just resumed his meal in silence.

* * *

Merlin was given his own chamber, because, as Indulf had said, 'servant or not, you are a guest of Wulion and are to be treated as such.'

Merlin was grateful for the kindness shown to him. But he confirmed that they had no idea that Emrys was him, for they definitely had not recognized him for the first day of their stay.

After refusing to have a servant of his own for the duration of their visit, Merlin plopped down onto his fluffy bed, and sighed of contentment. The airy room made it very easy to think.

But perhaps, it didn't make it easy enough to think, because Merlin, who was that lazy at the moment, held his hand out so it was only a short distance from the goblet of water (1) on his bedside table.

He chanted a very short spell, and the cup moved itself into his hand. He sat up and drank the water, before placing the goblet back, sighing in contentment yet again.

"Aha! I _knew_ it!" yelled an accusing, female voice, and suddenly, out of his wardrobe, dashed the Knightess he had been sitting beside at the feast.

"Wha-" Merlin began, but was interrupted.

"So it's you! You're Emrys," said the Knightess.

"Who are you?" Merlin asked.

"I am Lady Hendra," the Knightess replied, smiling.

"Don't tell Arthur," pleaded Merlin, and was relieved to see Hendra's nod.

"Your secret is safe with me," she reassured him, before turning and leaving the room.

* * *

 **(1) - Refrence to _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_**

 **There! Hope you liked it! I'd love to know what you think, so feel free to review (I allow guest reviews, of course!).**

 **Until next time, friends!**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Close Call

**Welcome to Chapter Two. Not yet the magic reveal, but soon. Thank you, Signal27, for being my first reviewer! Glad you liked it!**

 **APOLOGIES: I'm sorry if I accidentally make the characters seem OOC. Please inform me if I do, and I WILL fix it. Or I will try. But it should be good, seeing as I have a very good idea of how the characters should act.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin or the characters you recognize.**

 **WARNINGS:**

 **\- Spoiler Alert! Just to be safe, you should only read this story if you watched every episode and season of Merlin at least once.**

 **\- Magic Reveal**

 **This takes place before Agravaine's public betrayal and death, but after Uther's death.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER 2

The Close Call

* * *

It was a sunny day in Wulion. King Indulf admired the beautiful, sunlit forests from the window of his castle chambers. His eyes fell upon two people walking below; King Arthur and Merlin. He frowned at the serving boy, suspicion lacing his gaze, but was finally drawn from the window assume he heard a knock on his door.

"Enter," the royal called.

Tumbling inside was Indulf's Knightess, Lady Hendra.

"I know who Emrys is!" she panted. Her heavy breathing hinted that she had sprinted all the way to her King's chambers.

"Well?" the King asked, already impatient.

"It is Merlin," the girl revealed, leaning against the wall and panting.

"I had indeed suspected," Indulf sighed after a moment of thought. "Now, how do we pry him from Arthur and get him on our side?"

"Now that, I believe, is simple," said Hendra. "We must tell Arthur."

* * *

Meanwhile, Merlin and Arthur were in a conversation.

"When are we g back? What if the people are… in danger? What if Morgana-" Merlin asked, worried about what Agravaine could be doing.

"Why would they be? You don't trust my uncle?" cut in Arthur, as if reading his servant's mind.

"No, I do, but-" the Warlock began.

"But what?" interrupted Arthur, and Merlin sighed, not bothering to come up with a good enough reply.

"Nothing."

Suddenly, they could both hear the sound of rushing footsteps, and a female voice calling out,

"Sire! Emrys!"

Servant and King turned around, and with a stab of worry at his heart, Merlin saw that the person before them was Lady Hendra, and she had just called him 'Emrys.' Turns out she wasn't a Knightess of her word.

Arthur just raised an eyebrow, obviously not getting the point.

"King Arthur…," she gave a little bow to the King of Camelot, before turning to Merlin, and, to Arthur's great surprise, she bowed an even lower bow, saying, "Emrys."

Merlin frowned, trying – and succeeding - to act confused.

"I'm not… 'Emrys'," he said, glaring at Hendra, before holding out his hand in a greeting fashion. "My name is Merlin."

She smiled at him.

"You know who you are, Emrys," she said.

"Yeah, I know who I am. As I said, I'm Merlin. I'm not Emrys," Emrys replied, frowning still.

"Oh, please, don't pretend, Emrys! I saw you use magic with barely a twitch of your finger or a word from your mouth just yesterday!" the Knightess laughed.

" _Mer_ lin isn't a sorcerer," Arthur disagreed, feeling confident about the fact. "Even if he could be, I would know."

'Sure you would,' thought Merlin, amused, but held his tongue.

"My lord, Emrys is the greatest sorcerer – Warlock – ever to walk the Earth. But Emrys is only what the Druids call him… his true name, is Merlin."

Arthur looked at Merlin.

"I'm not a sorcerer," said the sorcerer.

"Whatever you wish to believe," Hendra replied through gritted teeth, before spinning around and stomping back to the castle.

* * *

"Well?" King Indulf said, looking at Hendra. "What effect did this realization have upon Arthur? Did he dump his servant?"

"He won't believe me, and Emrys is _certainly_ not helping!" grumbled the Knightess. "We have to find his weakness, Sire."

Indulf nodded.

"Very well. Spy on the boy. Get Sir Maximus's help," he instructed, and, with a short nod, Hendra exited the chambers.

* * *

Merlin sat on his bed, thinking. Thinking about what Agravaine was doing. What Morgana was doing. What Mordred was doing, if the boy was still alive. What Kilgharrah was doing. What Arthur was doing. What everyone was doing. In all honesty, he had nothing better to do; there were no books in his chambers, no chores to be done (apparently, he had a secret servant who was at work when Merlin was away, because, 'All guests are to be given servants. You are a guest,' as Indulf had said).

The young Warlock sighed, and decided to go see the Great Dragon. Perhaps his old friend might be able to help him save Camelot. If Camelot was in danger, and he had a funny feeling that it was.

He exited the chambers, and headed to the stables. After a short moment of wandering around, he finally found his familiar, dark brown Horse, and immediately prepared it for a small ride. When he was done, and had led the Horse out of the recently mucked out stables, he mounted it and set off for the nearby woods. Little did he know, three Knights followed in his shadow; one was a curious Sir Gwaine, and the other two (Sir Maximus and Lady Hendra) were together, just as unaware of Gwaine as Gwaine was of them.

Merlin kept on riding through the woods, in search of a nice, wide clearing. This was when Lady Hendra, Sir Maximus, and Sir Gwaine, rain into each other.

Before Gwaine could say a thing, Maximus had the talkative young Knight knocked out on the forest floor. Then they both turned and continued following Merlin.

Finally reaching a decently sized clearing, the Warlock's tone was deep and unnatural as he roared the ancient, Dragonlord spell, summoning Kilgharrah, his old friend and good guide.

This, of course, shocked the Knights, but they were careful not to make a noise.

After a brief, dreadfully silent moment, the figure of a humongous, brown Dragon, flew down and landed in the clearing.

"You summoned me, Merlin," the Great Dragon remarked, looking down upon the Warlock.

"I need your help," he said.

"Of course you do," Kilgharrah said.

"It's Camelot – Arthur insisted we come to Indulf's Kingdom to make peace, but he left Agravaine in charge," Merlin told him, and added, "What do I do?"

"You already know what is to be done, young Warlock," Kilgharrah said as if it was obvious. "You must ride for Camelot."

"But – how can I be sure that Agravaine made a move?" inquired Merlin.

"That I do not know, young Warlock," the Dragon said in a sorry tone.

Merlin sighed.

"I can't go. I'd have to leave Arthur's side for far too long," the sorcerer said thoughtfully. "I don't trust these people."

"Why?"

"I… I don't know. They're looking for Emrys."

"You mustn't let them find out your true identity, Merlin," Kilgharrah instructed, stretching out his wings.

"I know," said Merlin. After a pause, he added, "They already know, though."

"Make sure _Arthur_ does not find out, young Warlock," Kilgharrah said.

He curled his lips, and, nodding, walked away from his friend, hearing and feeling the change in the air as the Dragon flew away.

He didn't notice Sir Maximus and Lady Hendra as he mounted his dark Horse, but they had seen and heard everything.

They now knew Merlin's weakness.

It was Arthur.

* * *

Merlin rode back, and, long after him, followed the two Knights, to King Indulf's great pleasure. He waited patiently in his chambers for his spies to return to him, hoping they brought good news.

The first was Sir Maximus, and, stumbling in right after him, was the Lady Hendra.

"Sire! We know Emrys's weakness," Maximus said, a smile on his face.

"Yes?" the impatient King urged.

"It's Arthur," said Hendra. "Emrys's weakness is Arthur Pendragon."

"Of course," said Indulf. "Of course! How had I not seen it before?" after a short pause, he added, "But how does this help us?"

"I have an idea, Sire," said Sir Maximus, stepping forward.

* * *

 **Ah, short chapter! Sorry. Just thought it'd be perfect to end it here. Anyway, magic reveal in the next chapter (that's my plan, anyway).**

 **Hope you liked it!**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Success of Indulf

**Welcome to Chapter Three, the Magic Reveal! Thanks again to my reviewers – 2 reviews, and they are both positive! The inspiration is over nine thousand!**

 **APOLOGIES: I'm sorry if I accidentally make the characters seem OOC. Please inform me if I do, and I WILL fix it. Or I will try. But it should be good, seeing as I have a very good idea of how the characters should act.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Merlin or the characters you recognize.**

 **WARNINGS:**

 **\- Spoiler Alert! Just to be safe, you should only read this story if you watched every episode and season of Merlin at least once.**

 **\- Magic Reveal**

 **This takes place before Agravaine's public betrayal and death, but after Uther's death.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER 3

 _Indulf's Success_

* * *

The day was just as sunny and cloudless as the one before. Merlin was rather bored, for in Camelot, he always had something to do. In Wulion? Not so much. He could walk around, he could talk to Arthur, he could sit and think. But Arthur was busy training with the Wulion Knights and his own Knights. He seemed to be enjoying himself rather a lot, unlike Merlin, who was nervous and wishful to return to Camelot. But not without Arthur.

He was just exiting the great castle of Wulion, when he saw a fairly injured Knight, galloping back to the Kingdom on a bright brown stallion. Merlin found himself, as if by instinct, rushing over to the man, only to be pushed back.

"Get away, ya filthy commonah!" he spat with an accent. Merlin was about to just raised his arms in surrender, but King Indulf came first.

"Fredrick! You have missed too much," the royal said, ignoring the man's ugly scars and wounds. "King Arthur and his _servant_ ," he looked at Merlin with a raised eyebrow, as if expecting him to bawl out, 'I am no mere servant! I am Emrys! I am the most powerful sorcerer ever to walk the Earth!" But of course, Merlin did not such thing. So, the King went on, "came to visit us, along with some Camelot Knights. Peace, he says."

Fredrick snorted at Merlin, dismounting the Horse and thrusting the reins into his chest, making the Warlock double over, barely getting a grip of the reins. When he straightened up, he was about to say something back to the rude Knight, but Fredrick was already walking away with his King.

The sorcerer sighed, and led the Horse into the stables. When he came out again, nothing really changed. Honestly, he was hoping that one of the Wulion Knights would go mad and try to kill the King with magic, and that Merlin would have to save him (again), with or without magic. But much to his disappointment, the Knights were laughing and joking like Brothers.

You know you're bored when you wish for your very best friend's - and even _King's_ \- life to be in great danger, just for something to do.

* * *

The curtains of the King's chambers were closed, letting only very little sunlight trickle in through the windows. Everything was neat and tidy and coloured in teal and white, resembling the spirit of Wulion. The King himself, however, was not enjoying the neatness nor the beautiful weather at all. He had just ordered his finest Knight to get a whole lot of rest and care from their court physician, Aidan, before telling him what had happened.

Meanwhile, he was waiting for Sir Maximus and Lady Hendra to come to him, for he had sent a messenger to tell them he invited them. It was all going so slow, and their plan was not even put together properly yet. Emrys was not yet under his control, and he was growing impatient.

"My lord," said the unmistakable voice of Sir Maximus, and Indulf smiled, turning around. He saw the Knight and Knightess, waiting for him to speak.

"Sire," greeted Hendra, breathless (as always).

"Maximus, your plan is a good one. But how do we begin?" the King asked after nodding in return to their greetings.

"Well, did Fredrick not just make that easier?" he replied, raising his eyebrows. "A feast in his honour!"

"You are a prodigy, Sir Knight," complimented Indulf.

Maximus smiled and bowed slightly in reply.

"Very well. We must prepare for the celebration."

The two nodded, before turning and running off.

* * *

 _Finally, something to do_ , thought the Warlock, walking down the corridors, headed for the Great Hall. He hoped to get valuable information about… well, anything, while listening to the others' conversations, having no wish to engage in one himself. When he reached his destination, he saw nobles and servants, some sitting still and waiting, others moving about. But the moment he opened the door, he heard the great roar of noise and laughter and voices, as it is at every feast. He sat down silently in the same place he was last time. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fredrick about to protest, but King Indulf had reassured him that Merlin wasn't to act as a servant for the duration of Camelot's stay.

Fredrick only scoffed (much to the Warlock's amusement), before walking away to order some other servants around.

"We welcome you, friends," called out Indulf when everyone had settled down, "to a feast, in honour of the return of none other than Sir Fredrick!"

There were many cheers and claps and greetings from the people present in the room. Halfway through the feast, another man showed up; muddy and with a torn, red cloak, bearing the Pendragon crest. Before them, stood the now fully conscious Sir Gwaine, who seemed not to have bothered to clean anything more than his face and hands before making his way down. Arthur smiled and raised an eyebrow in greeting, and Gwaine grinned back, eyes quickly landing on Merlin. The hall had gone silent.

The newcomer ignored the attention now turned on him, and walked over to take the now empty chair beside Merlin (this time, Hendra was sitting with some other Knightesses).

"What happened to you?" the sorcerer asked, raising an eyebrow as the hall plunged into conversation and laughter yet again.

"That doesn't matter – I'm glad you're still alive and well," Gwaine replied.

"Why wouldn't I be?" inquired Emrys.

"What were you doing all alone in the woods, Merlin?" the Knight questioned, ignoring Merlin's own question.

"You followed me?" the Warlock frowned as he said this, also igniting the other's question.

"Of course I did," Gwaine said. "What were you doing?"

Merlin was at a loss. Usually, he would have said, 'herbs for Gaius,' but now that Gaius wasn't here, the man had no excuse. So he had to make up one that sounded kinda ridiculous.

"I grew bored, so I went for a ride," he seemed rather dumb, for lack of a better word, as he said this. "I got lost."

Sir Gwaine was convinced, and he chuckled, patting Merlin on the shoulder. The servant smiled, before turning around and looking at Arthur and Indulf. The Wulion King seemed rather impatient.

And at that moment, all too suddenly, the door burst open, and in came a man, his hand outstretched, palm facing King Indulf. Merlin glared at the guy, observing him, when even more suddenly, his originally deep green eyes turned a molten gold, and a sword unsheathed itself from a Knight's belt, before, far too quickly, it went flying at the King of Wulion – wait, no, the sword aimed for Arthur! Merlin, who realized this rather too late, was up in an instant. He acted on instinct; both hands held out toward his King, who had a very slow mind when it came to things like this – as he'd proved when Merlin first came to Camelot.

The sword, at Merlin's will, was stopped right as it neared Arthur's face, and turned around, before being thrown back at the man in the doorway, who dodged and ran away just in time.

While, of course, all this took time for me to write and you to read, it all happened in a mere heartbeat or two.

Merlin dropped his hands, sighed, and looked down at the ground for a second, before bravely turning around and looking at Arthur, tears already forming at the brims of his light blue eyes.

Neither man said anything. Merlin stood, looking sadly and hopefully at his King, while Arthur sat, glaring at him, his face lacking emotion. He broke eye contact with his servant, looking away at nothing in particular. When he looked back at his friend, it was obvious he thought Merlin was a traitor. A traitor who saved the life of the person he betrayed.

"You're a sorcerer," observed he.

Merlin coughed slightly, but his face went from hopeful to terrified as King Arthur drew his sword.

"All these years, Merlin…," the King said. "I… I thought I knew you."

"I'm still the same man," Merlin replied.

Arthur curled his lips, looking at his… friend. Maybe.

"My lord," King Indulf said, looking at Arthur, but the blonde haired man held out his hand to stop him from talking. He let his hand fall at his side when he was certain the other royal would stay quiet, and looked at Merlin.

"So you really _are_ Emrys," he scoffed disbelievingly.

"Yes… Sire…," the Warlock said quietly.

"Just… leave," the King of Camelot told him, sheathing his sword. When Merlin didn't move, Arthur repeated, " _Go_!", but only slightly louder.

Merlin speed-walked out of the room, followed by glares, some sympathetic, some curious, and very few hateful.

Merlin sighed shakily and leaned against the wall opposite the entrance to the Great Hall. He said down into a sitting position, and then looked up, only to see something horrific.

The guards. How in the world had the man who attempted to get in, do so right under the noses of the guards?

Then it dawned on him. It had all been a plan. They wanted to reveal Merlin. Why else would the guards be standing there, alive and well? Why else would the Lady Hendra have broken her word? Why?

He groaned in his stupidity. How had he not seen it before?

 _How could I be so stupid?_

* * *

 **Again, reviews - including Guest Reviews - are more than welcome! I honestly have no idea what Arthur would do in this case, so I just did this. Hope you liked it!**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Return from Wulion

**Aye! Welcome to Chapter Four of** ** _The Visit to Wulion_** **. I recently looked back at the other chapters, and they're so** ** _short_** **! So, this one is longer. Much longer. Usually, they're all 6 pages on Microsoft Word, including this message and all. Now, it's like, 10 pages. :D I have a feeling I'm not putting enough description into my story, so… really descriptive chapter. Thanks for all the reviews! They inspired Chapter 4. Sorry I took so long. Also, I removed "Author's Note," because we don't need that anymore. C:**

 **APOLOGIES:** **I'm sorry if I accidentally make the characters seem OOC. Please inform me if I do, and I WILL fix it. Or I will try. But it should be good, seeing as I have a very good idea of how the characters should act.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** **I do not own Merlin or the characters you recognize.**

 **WARNINGS:**

 **\- Spoiler Alert! Just to be safe, you should only read this story if you watched every episode and season of Merlin at least once.**

 **\- Magic Reveal**

 **RESPONSES:**

 **Kiacico: I'm a very impatient person, so taking things slow is something I struggle with. Thanks for your review, though! Appreciate it. I'll try to slow the pace a little here. I'm glad you think it's genuine! That's what I was aiming for!**

 **This takes place before Agravaine's public betrayal and death, but after Uther's death.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER 4

 _The Return from Wulion_

* * *

"Merlin!" shouted Arthur, and said raven-haired boy woke. He had fallen asleep right outside the Great Hall, leaning still against the cold, hard wall.

"Sire," said he, immediately jumping to his feet. Looking around at the dusty, wooden floor, and the white, marble walls, he remembered where they were. And then, he remembered what had happened just an hour ago… his magic had been revealed…

 _*1 Hour ago, flashback…*_

 _"Go!" The King had shouted, looking at his manservant with a fiery gaze._

 _Saddened, the sorcerer – the liar, the traitor, the enemy – speed-walked outside, so that all the people who had been staring at him, turned their eyes over to Arthur, who felt uncomfortable under all the attention. So he sat down, and the hall began chattering._

 _"What do I do?" the troubled King of Camelot asked Indulf._

 _"I, personally, think that if you're fighting against magic, no exceptions should be made, not for anyone, not even him," reasoned Indulf._

 _"I fear you may be right, but I can't execute a friend, magic or not," sighed Arthur, before taking a bite of meat._

 _"How can you trust a man who lied to you?" inquired the other King, looking at Arthur curiously._

 _"I…," in all honesty, King Arthur had no response to this question. He'd heard his father say the exact same thing to him about Lancelot, and he'd been wrong that time. But Indulf could be right_ this _time._

 _"If you really do not want to see your friend die, you may leave him here," the King of Wulion suggested._

 _"That's not a bad idea," Arthur agreed, and they continued feasting in peace – and, speaking of peace, they also fully agreed on a truce between the Kingdoms, but that, eventually, the treaty would be signed in Camelot._

 _*End of flashback.*_

"I have come to a decision, Merlin," the King said, and sorrow laced his voice. "The Knights and I are to return to Camelot. You, however, will stay here."

"What if I don't?" Merlin questioned carefully after a short silence.

"Then you return with us on pain of death," Arthur replied apologetically, before turning and walking away.

When Arthur left, Merlin looked at Indulf, and the man smiled.

"Come, I would like to discuss with you your role and place in Wulion," he said, beginning lead Merlin through the windowed corridors. Well, he would be leading Merlin through the windowed corridors, if Merlin hadn't just turned in the other direction, intending to follow Arthur.

 _"Emrys! What reckless behaviour! Get back here!"_ the King shouted, running up to Merlin. But the Warlock turned and looked him straight in the eye. He was about to use magic to knock the man out, but something horrid happened.  Indulf used magic first.

In no time, Merlin was knocked out on the ground, and Indulf's left him there for a few hours. Passer-bies frowned in confusion, but didn't halt, not allowing the unconscious man to distract them from their apparently urgent duties.

When he was sure Arthur and the Knights had gone far enough away, Indulf returned, used his rather weak magic, and brought Merlin back to consciousness.

The warlock sat up slowly, groaning, and rubbing the back of his head. _What happened?_ He thought. But then he remembered, and he saw Indulf, standing right over him, and smiling that annoying smile.

"No need to run, Emrys," he said maliciously. "Your precious King and his Knights are already gone. They cast you aside without a moment's thought."

Merlin didn't reply, just staring into the eyes of the man instead. Almost daring him. He was reminded strongly of Cornelius Sigan.

"It must hurt so bad," the King continued.

"That doesn't matter," he said.

"Think about it, Emrys. Together, we could rule the world. Arthur will kneel at your feet. The Knights will obey your every command."

"I don't want that," the sorcerer objected.

"Very well, then. I will simply have to force you to do it. Let's see-" but before he could finish, Merlin remembered he had magic, and knocked the man out with a powerful (and invisible) blow to the head.

Then, Emrys turned around, and ran out of the castle. He had to catch up with Arthur. He had to explain himself.

* * *

In the meantime, King Arthur and his Knights were riding for Camelot. They were all in silence, even Gwaine.

"I don't think Merlin meant any harm, you know," Gwaine was the first to speak after a while.

"Neither do I," agreed the King.

This obviously intrigued the Knights.

"Then, why leave him in Wulion?" asked Elyan before Gwaine could.

Arthur didn't reply. He had no good answer. No answer that his Knights would understand. So instead of giving them his honest response, he called out to them,

"We set up camp for the night."

And so they did. Gwaine was talking to the Knights, mostly about Merlin, but Arthur didn't listen. His heart still ached badly from the pain of betrayal. Merlin couldn't be evil, that was for sure. But… magic? Of all things? _What if magic isn't something you choose? What if… it chooses you?_

 _What if my father was wrong?_

He never questioned his father's motives, teachings, and doings, before. Turning his thoughts away from Usher, he remembered all the times when Merlin had given hints of his power before.

 _"I could take you down with one blow."_

 _"I could take you down with less than that."_

He snickered silently, but his face went serious right after as he lost himself in memories.

 _"Gwen isn't the sorcerer. I am!"_

Or…

 _"And what would you know about magic, Merlin?"_

 _"Nothing."_

He frowned slightly, and remembered what he'd said himself, at around the first time they met.

 _"There's something about you, Merlin… I can't quite put my finger on it."_

But now he knew. Letting his thoughts trail away from his friend – or foe? – and recalled the evil sorcerers he'd met. Morgause, the sorceress who tried to make him kill his own father. Morgana, the traitor who wanted him dead. Dragoon, the man who killed his father, and lied about wanting to save him.

But there was still one thing that bothered him about the sorcerer. He wasn't actually enchanted with Gwen – he had been in love with her. Emphasis on 'had been.'

He just decided that Dragoon 'the Great' had no idea they were actually in love, and tried to make them so. _Not a big deal_ , he thought.

"We should get some sleep," Arthur called at last, silencing the Knights.

They had to sleep on the ground, because Merlin was the one who had carried their supplies, and the supplies were in Merlin's chambers. And, needless to repeat, Merlin wasn't here.

Arthur was the last one to fall asleep, thinking about Merlin's so-called 'betrayal.'

* * *

Merlin, however, was quite a far way off. He wasn't as fast as he'd have liked to be, and, as night plagued the skies, he had to get some rest. He groaned as he remembered the sleeping bags and supplies he left at Wulion.

So, he curled up on the grassy ground. It took him longer than it should have if he had been comfortable, but he fell asleep eventually.

In the morning, the young man was surprised – but pleased – to find that he had gotten up quite early. Stretching out, he stood up, and walked over to his horse. He stopped midway, however, as he heard the sound of hooves. He heard a voice yell, "We got 'im!"

And then, all was gone.

* * *

Finally, Arthur and the others got first sight of Camelot. They were standing on a cliff that overlooked the forests, and far, far away, they could make out the tall castle which they knew so well.

"Let's get going," the King called, and they all continued their journey. It would be at least two more days until they reached their kingdom. Arthur was longing for home.

As they travelled, galloping downhill to the woods, Arthur caught sight of something which made him think even more deeply about Merlin and his magical betrayal. A huge creature with large wings, flying across the skies. It was brown, but so far up they all saw it as a brown so dark it's questionable whether or not it was brown at all.

Of course, it was a dragon. And not just any dragon; it was the Great Dragon, the one which his father kept chained deep underneath the castle. The one he had killed.

"Of course," he muttered.

"What's that?" asked Gwaine.

"The dragon," answered King Arthur, gritting his teeth.

"There are… _more_ , dragons?" inquired Sir Leon.

"No," was Arthur's simple reply.

"Didn't you kill that dragon?" Elyan asked.

"That's what _Mer_ lin said," the King sighed.

There was silence. Gwaine was thinking of saying, _'Why do you need others telling you who and what you did or didn't kill? Shouldn't you know?'_ but decided against it.

In all honesty, their trip was empty without Arthur's manservant. Their King would probably be stuck with George, at least until he found himself a new manservant to replace both George and Merlin. Gwaine sighed. Being a Knight wouldn't be so fun anymore.

The moment the sorcerer opened his eyes, Merlin noticed he was gagged. But really, that was it. No chains, no handcuffs, no nothing. He took the gag off, and looked around at his dull surroundings. A cell. Wulion being a newish kingdom, the cells were all clean and unused. Quite a change from the typical Camelot ones, which were strewn with hay and old and rusty.

But Wulion's cells felt so… foreign. Creepy. Unfamiliar. Even the _cells_ at Camelot felt cozy and, silly, even. Usually he was there for stupid reasons. Now? Not quite.

However, the Warlock didn't spend too much time thinking, before he marched right up to the cell door, and used his secret yet famous magic to unlock and throw it open.

Too easy. Easier than Camelot. There were zero – _zero_ – guards about. No one was there. Holding in his laugh, Merlin exited the dungeons. After that, he sneaked out of the dimly lit castle, and into the stables, where he led out his horse, and galloped off and away into the woods.

Again, he had to mention to himself how easy it was. Arthur would just say, 'Are you ever happy, Merlin?'. Truth is, he was pleasurably happy. Excited, too. None of the servants or citizens had any idea he was a prisoner. Only very few acknowledged him, and it was an even fewer number of people who waved or said 'Good afternoon.'

 _Afternoon._

He had been knocked out longer than he expected, and he wasn't at all happy about it. Sure, he got rest. But he was quite well-rested before being knocked out.

(Not that it was the citizens' greetings which made him notice it was afternoon - he's better than that, we all know he is.)

"Hiyah!" he whispered loudly to his dark brown mare, who snorted in reply, running only slightly faster. Needless to say, Merlin's destination was Camelot.

 _*Time-skip: 2 Boring Days Later*_

Arthur, Leon (1), Elyan, Gwaine, and Percival, reached the palace at last. They were greeted by countless, sad faces. What was going on? The entire place was gloomy.

Agravaine was nowhere to be found. But there came a man which Arthur only now realized he did not want to see. Gaius.

He hadn't thought of what he would say to Gaius about Merlin. What _could_ he say?

"Sire," greeted the old man, bowing his head respectfully. Arthur bit his lip.

"Gaius," he mumbled, sliding off his horse. The Knights followed.

"Where's Merlin?" a highly concerned tone came over his physician's voice, and Arthur felt his heart aching.

"He… Gaius, he's a sorcerer," revealed the King, and Gaius just stared, realization dawning upon him. He made no effort to hide his knowledge of Merlin's secret. Or, former secret.

"You knew," whispered Arthur, and Gaius sighed.

"Of course I did," the man replied. There was a very short pause, before he added, "What happened?"

Arthur looked down, stared at nothing in particular for a moment, and then looked up. He explained where and why he left Merlin behind, and how he was sure the man would be fine at Wulion.

"What happened here?" he questioned when he was done.

"Morgana," said Gaius, and Arthur's eyes widened.

All the sudden…

"Seize them!"

* * *

In the meantime, Merlin was having a rather relaxing trot on the back of his mare, through the woods. He was around half a day behind Arthur's party, and was enjoying the calmness. Every time his mind turned to fears and pasts and futures, he wiped the thoughts away, returning them to the now and here, which was the beautiful woodland, with birds singing up above, and hooves sounding down below. The air was fresh and delicious.

Nothing more the young man wanted than to be in Camelot once more, joking with Arthur and laughing. Serving him, all the while fulfilling his destiny. Life had taken a sharp turn, and for that he had not been prepared. But it was over now. Things would change forever.

Emrys wiped his mind again, and returned it to the beautiful woodland.

He had no idea of the mistake he was making by taking his time.

* * *

 **(1) Just wanted to share with you... Autocorrect corrected "Leon" to "Lemon."**


End file.
